Medical science has progressed a great deal over the last hundred years. It is amazing to think of all the tools that doctors and hospitals now have at their disposal to help identify problems. At one time if you were injured internally the only way to really find out what was wrong was through exploratory surgery. But that came with great side effects and huge risks. These days a doctor can order an MRI to see if there is any internal damage without you unnecessarily undergoing the knife. This simple, yet complicated, machine can help diagnose tumors, cancer and even find areas of your body to display in a 3-D image that makes diagnosing a problem far easier than ever before. In this article we will cover the basics about this remarkable diagnostic tool and hopefully it will help you understand how it works and how beneficial it actually is.
What is an MRI?
MRI stands for Magnetic Resonance Imaging or it may be referred to as Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging. It is a diagnostic tool used by radiology professionals to see inside the body. It is extremely useful for the fact that it can give clear images of the interior muscles, bones and ligaments in the body. And while there are other imaging tools used by radiologists and technicians, this is the preferred tool when doctors need to see the soft tissues of the body. Unlike CT, or computed tomography, MRI does not use ionizing radiation. Instead it relies on magnetic fields in conjunction with the body’s hydrogen atoms. Radio frequency fields are used to alter the alignments of the atom to give a more detailed view of the interior of the body.
What are some of the components of an MRI scanner?
The biggest portion of the scanner is the magnet. In fact the magnet is so big that the rest of the machine is built around it! In addition to this huge magnet you also have shims, gradients and the RF technology to help produce the images. The shims are used because in the body there are pockets of air, such as around the sinus cavities and the frontal portion of the brain. The shims help correct the field homogeneity. The gradients are resistive electromagnets that help position the protons by changing the variations on the magnetic field. And of course the RF technology is what is actually used to cause the protons, or nuclei, to realign to give the image of the tissue, bone and nerves that are being scanned.
Why is an MRI better than a standard X-ray?
X-rays are very useful tools. They can easily see the bones in the body but they fail at giving precise images of soft tissues and nerves. They can also be hindered in areas such as the brain. The MRI is able to take images of the soft tissues as well as any fluids that are built up around the tissue such as in the case of brain damage. The X-ray may show where the bones of the skull are fractured but it is the MRI that can show tissue damage and tumors. Also with X-rays you are dealing with radiation and though the average person will only be exposed to it for a short amount of time, it is safer to give an MRI.
Are all MRI scans the same?
No, they are not the same. There are specialized scans that are used for different purposes. You have the: Diffusion, Magnetization Transfer, Fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR), Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), Magnetic Resonance Gated Intracranial C SF Dynamics (MR-GILD), Magnetic resonance spectroscopy, Functional MRI (fMRI), Interventional, and many more. Each does a specialized task and looks at the body in a different way. Each type of scan often utilizes different components of the total machine and there are different techniques and solutions that are needed to highlight the specific areas.
Beth Kaminski is the co-author of Curing Your Anxiety And Panic Attacks which detailed panic attacks help as well as tips on the various medications for panic disorder available at www.anxietydisordercure.com.